Horn player/artistic director Lauren Robinson and her husband, bassist Jeffrey White, have been coming to the Columbia Valley for many years and have always dreamed of starting a chamber music festival.

In 2011, the Columbia Valley Chamber Music Festival was born. The festival aims to bring some of North America’s finest performers to audiences of all ages in the East Kootenay. Robinson hopes to expand the festival in coming years to incorporate more of the vibrant communities in the Columbia Valley, as well as provide more opportunities for students, amateur musicians, and community members.This year also marks the beginning of an exciting fellowship opportunity for a young Canadian pursuing a career in music at the university level. This year’s recipient is violinist Brenna Hartmann (pictured at right), a native of Bergen, Alberta. She is pursuing a degree in violin performance at the Victoria Conservatory of Music. She will receive coaching and lessons and will perform alongside festival participants in all of the concerts. The festival is very excited to welcome Brenna as our first Festival Fellow. Brenna will be featured on the first concert playing Terzetto in C Major by Antonin Dvorak, playing alongside Eckhardt-Grammatte winner violinist Carissa Klopoushak and Laura Reid. She will also play the Dvorak Quintet Op. 77 on the second program.

The following is a breakdown of the festival performances, beginning this Friday, August 10.

Friday, August 10
Sounds and Stories Family concert
1:30 p.m .
Free
Christ Church Trinity, 110 7th Ave, Invermere
Family Concert in conjunction with Invermere Public Library’s Summer Reading Program
Dishes running away with spoons, merry pranks, and ugly ducklings turning into swans make for some of the most timeless stories and exciting music in this interactive program for kids of all ages. Not sure if classical music is for you? Come to this free concert and see what it’s all about! This concert is appropriate for all ages, not just the younger set.
All donations collected at this concert will jointly benefit the Columbia Valley Chamber Music Festival and the Invermere Public Library.

Sunday, August 12
7 p.m .
Free
Golden Civic Center, Golden
Music on this concert will include works by Richard Strauss, Bohuslav Martinu, Alberto Ginastera, and Antonin Dvorak. For audience members more familiar with orchestral repertoire, the program will include one of Richard Strauss’ own reductions of his popular work “Til Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks,” for horn, bassoon, clarinet, violin, and bass. This charming work paints a musical picture of the exploits of Til Eulenspiegel, a prankster from German folklore who meets an unhappy end. The concert will also feature “La Revue de Cuisine,” by Czech composer Bohuslav Martinu. The music was originally written as a ballet based on the nursery rhyme “The Dish Ran Away with the Spoon.” It features Calgary Philharmonic musicians Adam Zinatelli on trumpet, Michael Hope on bassoon, and Laura Reid on Violin, as well as bassist Jeff White, horn player Lauren Robinson, clarinetist Jared Kobos and pianist Esther Bing. Ms. Bing will also be featured in a set of short works for piano by Alberto Ginastera.
Concert presented as part of Golden’s “Summer Kicks” series, made possible by Kicking Horse Culture and the Town of Golden.
Please note: We will present the same concert program on Monday, August 13 in Invermere.

Monday, August 13
7:30 p.m .
Tickets: $20, $10 for students and seniors, Available at the door
Christ Church Trinity, 110 7th Ave, Invermere

Concert featuring the works of Richard Strauss, Martinu, Ginastera, and Dvorak
Please note: This is the same program that we will be featuring in Golden on August 12.
Pre-concert talk at 6:30 with Adam Zinatelli, free for all ticket holders.

Saturday, August 18
7:30 p.m .
Tickets: $20, Available at the door
Christ Church Trinity, 110 7th Ave, Invermere Concert featuring the works of Dvorak, Brahms, and Mozart .
Three great composers wrote three great quintets featured on this program of (mostly) strings. Antonin Dvorak’s Quintet, Op. 77 has a traditional string quartet and adds a bass in the mix. Brahms’ Opus 111 quintet features a string quartet plus an extra violist. And Mozart’s Horn Quintet, K. 407 features the horn (obviously) plus a violin, two violas, and a bass. All major works by major composers, this concert will be a thrilling evening of some of the best chamber music ever written.
This concert features members of the Calgary Philharmonic, the Utah Symphony, the Aalborg (Denmark) Symphony Orchestra, and the Fry Street Quartet.
Please note: We will present the same repertoire in Golden on Sunday, August 19.

Sunday, August 19
3 p.m .
Suggested Donation: $20
Golden Civic Center
Concert featuring the works of Dvorak, Brahms, and Mozart
Please note: this is the same concert that we will be presenting on Saturday, August 18 in Invermere.
For more complete concert listings and bios of our musicians, please go to www.cvchambermusic.org or facebook.com/cvchambermusic. Questions? Email: [email protected].